Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-01-03

pardoned out and set at liberty on account
of good conduct, or unusual term of sem
fences, or any other cause which in their
opinion should entitle sIch prisoner to
pardon" The Legislature did not intend
such a report by the Board to the Governor
to be regarded by him as an idle thing, to
be capriciously disregarded; but it was in
tended that he should, in the exercise of
sound discretion, give effect to such report
ard recommendation, and grant pardons
thereon. The pardons granted by Governor
Stoneman during his term of office, with
few exceptions, have been founded upon
the report and recommendation of the
Board of Prison Directors, who made their
reports and recommendations in the
discharge of a duty enjoined by
law. In the face of his official
oath, could the Governor arbitrarily
disregard those recommendations, and
permit person entitled to be pardoned by
law languish in prison? None but a per-
son whose mind is gangrened with preju
dice and of inhuman instincts can answer
this question in the affirmative. The per-
sonnet of the Board of Prison Directors is a
guarantee that unworthy persons have not
been recommended or pardoned. Who are
they2 Three of them are Democrats and
two are Republicans. Senator Boggs, Sec
Wilkins, the editor of the Marin County
Tocsin, are Democrats; and Charles Sonn-
! tag a leading merchant of San Francisco,
and Robert T. Devlin, a lawyer of Sacra-
mento whose integrity and ability are be-
yond doubt, are the Republicans. An in
| spection of the records of the Governors
| office for several years back will show
! that the percentage of pardons granted
| by Governor Stoneman is less than
that of other previous Governors, and
almost invariably pardons have been con-
| fined to convictS who were convicted Tor
| their first offense. Anybody may make
mistakes, but have been interested enough
| to look into the matter carefully, and, in
answer to theassertion that the worst Grim
| inals had been pardoned, it is sufficient to
say that only two of those pardoEed or
committed have been returned to prison for
| the commission of other offerses. In
nearly every instance where a pardon has
| been recommended by the Board or granted
| by the Governor it has been done on the
| request of the Judge who tried the case,
| the District Attorney and jurors, and the
proportion of those granted are few in COM
| parison with those which have been denied.
| Will the people think the Bees attack on
| the Governor is just? No. Can his services
| in defense of the Union be forgotten so
easily as to deny him the justice due? The
| Bee may be ungrateful to the gallant
| cavalry leader of the Federal forces in
| defense of his country, but the nation will
not. He was called by the people to serve
this great State as Governor, and, to obey
their call he resigned his place on the re-
tired list of distinguished Generals who
had served their country faithfully and
well, and now at the close of his civil serv-
| ice he should be restored to the retired list
| again. Let justice be done though the
| heavens fall. FAIR PLAY.
Sacramento, January 2, 1887.
Let 1t be Sent.
Tie combined New Years and Citrus
Fair edition of the RECORD UNION is a
snlendid number and one that shnnld he